


An Exchange of Services

by AfterUtopia



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alpha Shiro (Voltron), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Anal Fingering, Beta Adam (voltron), Bottom Keith (Voltron), But its definitely going to have sexual content of some kind or another, But this is primarily a SHEITH FIC so Shadam people please dont expect a happy ending for those two, Contracts, Cussing, Established Adam/Shiro (Voltron), I don't know how explicit it will be yet, Like spoilers the end goal is sheith because sheith is my otp forever, M/M, More tags will be added as I go such as when I introduce all the other characters, Omega Keith (Voltron), SHEITH - Freeform, Sexual Content, Sheith forever, Switch Keith (Voltron), Switch Shiro (Voltron), There will be a lot of them as I have a whole long thing in my head for this, Top Shiro (Voltron), Very very brief noncon kissing (like a quarter of a sentence), at first anyway
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-30
Updated: 2018-10-26
Packaged: 2019-07-20 14:41:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16139363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AfterUtopia/pseuds/AfterUtopia
Summary: Keith is an Omega, and the only good way for his type to make money in this society is to enter into a contract with an infertile or wealthy couple to produce their children. Shiro and Adam are an Alpha-Beta couple with no hope of having children on their own, but with plenty of money to spare in investing in their own personal Omega. But Adam didn't like the look in Shiro's eyes as he first spotted Keith's picture in the catalog, and unfortunately for him, he is not a part of this story's happy ending.





	1. An Exchange of Information

Five years or five kids. That was the contract.

“That all you’re bringing?” the stranger questioned as he stepped out of the car to greet Keith.

Keith stared at the man, with his dusty brown hair and square glasses, and his naturally tan skin. Keith’s…. employer.

A shrug was all the answer he gave the question about his luggage, which consisted of a duffle bag full of clothes and a backpack with his more precious items: a laptop, a picture of his parents, a picture of his friends. A small switchblade given to him by his mother that, though technically prohibited during this process, he had snuck with him hidden in a pair of black gloves in his bag.

“I mean… okay,” the other man said doubtfully before reaching out his hand. “Adam Williams. It’s nice to meet you, Keith.”

Keith forced an insincere smile, shook the hand briefly, and moved to get into the passenger side of the car. There was no one to say goodbye to; he hadn’t told anyone he’d signed the contract, and he had no intention of doing so until he was already gone. It was already too late for them to try to convince him to back out, but he still didn’t want to have to deal with their frustration and sadness face-to-face. 

“You must live close, then, if you’re picking me up in person,” Keith observed quietly as he shifted in his seat to face the window slightly.

It was frustrating, being so blind in this process when the couple he was contracted with knew almost everything about him. They got to choose their favorite omega to hire; he had to sign the contract before he knew anything about them.

“A little less than an hour away,” Adam replied kindly. “In a suburb on the other side of the city.” He started the car and then paused, looking over at Keith. “You’ll be able to visit home sometimes,” he said with a small smile before turning back to the road and beginning the drive. “Takashi was insistent that we find someone close enough that they could visit their family.”

Keith remained quiet, staring out the window with apparent disinterest, but he soaked up every bit of information he received, trying to discern what his future would look like for the next five years. Or, well, hopefully less than that. It wasn’t unusual for omegas to have twins or even triplets, so if he got lucky, he could be out of here in less than half the required time.

As far as first impressions went, this wasn’t a terrible one - on their end at least, although Keith hadn’t been putting a significant effort into being overly friendly. This was, after all, a business transaction, and it was safer to view it that way. No attachments. 

Adam seemed reasonably pleasant though, and just on the softer edge of formal, which Keith preferred. And although Keith didn’t have a lot of information about Takashi yet, he also seemed to be considerate.

During the hour-long drive, Adam filled Keith in on the rest of the information he was lacking.

Takashi Shirogane was the Alpha of the pair, and the one with which Keith would be conceiving the children. Adam would not be involved in that aspect of the transaction, as was customary for Alpha-Beta pairs who were hiring an Omega. Keith nodded at this fact, aware that Alpha-Omega intercourse was the most successful way to produce children, and was more likely to produce more Alpha children. 

Adam was a prominent politician and was often away at the capitol, but Takashi remained in town the majority of time to oversee his business ventures headquartered in the city. Keith was under no pressure to interact with either of them beyond what was necessary, and was in fact discouraged from becoming attached to the married couple or - of course - the eventual children. They would hire a nanny to raise the children and ensure as little contact with Keith as possible, so that no one got hurt in this process.

The Alpha-Omega pair would be expected to spend Keith’s heats together, but would have no sexual contact outside of Keith’s fertile stages. Keith would have an equal say in how they were intimate, and would not be required to perform any acts that were not directly related to insemination. There would be no taking advantage of Keith in this contract, as Adam and Takashi had heard of happening in other households.

Keith would be staying in a spare room in their house for a few months, as the guest house they were building had had some issues with the contractors and was not yet ready. Once it was complete, he could move in there and they would all have more privacy.

Keith appreciated how quick and blunt Adam was with disbursing the information, and all in all, it was a more than fair deal. Many omegas who signed contracts ended up in much, much worse situations. 

They fell into silence for the remainder of the drive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for how short the first chapter is. I wanted to get out all of this background stuff and set up the story before Keith and Shiro meet and shit starts to get fun.
> 
> This fic is loosely inspired by a 30-second summary my friend told me about the Handmaid's Tale. Handmaiden's Tale? I know very little about that book/move and have never nor will never read/watch it, but since the very very little knowledge I do have about it is what inspired this fic, I figured I should add inspo credit even though the stories won't be all that similar.
> 
> Curious about the world-building of this fic? Please please ask me questions! If they're spoilery, I simply won't answer right away, but even the spoilery questions help me to make sure my world is properly fleshed out. Also, I love your comments and they inspire me, so if you like the start of this fic, please let me know!
> 
> Catch me on Twitter @minibattlehero


	2. A Change of Expectations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously, on AEOS: Keith is an Omega who signed a contract with a married Alpha-Beta couple, Takashi Shirogane and Adam Williams, to live with them for five years and bear their children. Adam picked Keith up and informed him of the expectations of their arrangement, which include him being intimate with Takashi during each of Keith's heats and, most importantly, not getting emotionally attached to the family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW, I woke up to five comments and I got SO FREAKIN EXCITED that I wrote the whole second chapter and part of the third! I'm so grateful that you guys are interested in my story, and I hope it doesn't disappoint!

It was five days after moving into the Williams-Shirogane residence that Keith first felt the signs of an oncoming heat.

He’d seen Takashi Shirogane exactly twice in that time, and spoken to him only once.

The first time they met was right after he and Adam had pulled up to the house. Takashi had been sitting in the front room reading something on his tablet when Adam and Keith walked through on their way to show Keith to his room.

Shirogane had looked up when they’d entered, and he and Keith had locked eyes for only a moment. In that briefest of seconds, Keith had seen something change in the white-haired stranger’s gaze, something he couldn’t quite explain.

And then Adam introduced them, and Takashi nodded and looked back to his tablet, and Keith was ushered through the door on the other end of the room.

The second time Keith had seen Takashi Shirogane was as he was entering the kitchen in search of coffee on his first morning there. Takashi was dressed in business attire, complete with a suit jacket and tie, and held his own cup of morning coffee. His other hand held his phone to his ear as he said something about- “Can’t we reschedule it to--” and then sneezed.

Keith, on instinct, muttered a quick “bless you.”

Takashi nodded in his direction without looking over at him, and continued his conversation as he swiftly left the kitchen.

And that was it. It barely even counted as speaking to one another, but it was the closest the two had come to interacting in the five days Keith had lived there.

Adam, Keith had seen even less. After dropping him off at his room the first day, Keith had mostly interacted with Adam’s assistant and the couple’s maid, who were able to provide information and assist him where needed. Adam really hadn’t been kidding about not them not having to interact with each other outside of Keith’s heats.

That was fine with Keith, in all honesty. He could take care of himself, and he had even less of a desire to befriend these two than it appeared they had of befriending him. He spent his days familiarizing himself with the property, drawing, studying, and informing his mother and three friends about the situation - responding to their whirlwind mixture of furious, concerned, and brokenhearted text messages.

Life could be worse.

When his body starting showing signs of heat, he knew things were going to change, but that too could have been worse. Keith had been shown where the married couple kept their extra bedding, which had been recently purchased in excess in anticipation of Keith’s arrival, so he was able to pull about 30 various pillows and blankets into his room and arrange them to his satisfaction.

Takashi, also, was far from an undesirable person. Although they had never interacted beyond those brief few seconds, Keith would have had to be blind to miss how attractive the man was. His shoulders were built like a god’s, and the way his perfectly-tailored suit had looked over his tapered waist was drool-worthy, and that hair that made him look almost ageless was _such_ a turn-on, and god, the way he _smelled_ , and--

\--Keith found himself palming an erection amidst the mountain of blankets on his bed, and it took a moment before he realized what he was doing. 

“Shit,” he breathed out quietly, and sat up so he could pull his phone out of his back pocket, shooting off a quick text to Adam’s assistant that his heat would be starting by that evening at the latest, a day earlier than they’d initially anticipated.

Keith flopped back down on his bed and groaned, running a hand over his face. He _hated_ not being on suppressants. It always felt like being in heat changed him somehow, made him lose control of himself. Not to mention how miserable it had been when he had to go through heats alone, before he’d gotten blockers. 

But now he wouldn’t be going through them alone, which was an immense relief. He’d have this Takashi person, with his hair and his eyes and his _smell_ , and fuck, Keith wanted that smell _here, now._. 

His phone buzzed, and Keith saw a text from Adam’s assistant (who I just decided is going to need an actual name and guess whaaaaat, it’s gonna be James c; ), and groaned again when he read it. Takashi would be back at around 6, but Adam wouldn’t be back until 7 and they preferred not to start until they were both home for this first heat. 

Okay, fine, that was only 8 hours away. He could wait. His heat technically hadn’t even started yet. And Keith was a patient person. Ha.

Keith was not a patient person. He lasted about five minutes before he left his room in search of Takashi’s scent. Through the kitchen, the dining room, the living room, the lounge, the bathroom, it was everywhere but it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t _enough!_

As he passed the couple’s bedroom door, Keith paused. 

He shouldn’t go in. He really shouldn’t. That was an invasion of privacy, and it would break the tenuous trust that they already didn’t have much of. But that’s where Shirogane kept his _clothes_. That was where he slept and fucked and-

The smell was already stronger here, in front of the door, and Keith _needed_ it. 

He reached down for the door handle. Pulled back. Reached again, slowly…

The door opened and Keith jumped back, startled, as the maid (who also needs a name, hi Leifsdottir, my precious angel) screamed when she saw him and dropped the basket of dirty laundry she was carrying.

“I’m so sorry, Ina, I didn’t mean to- ahhh,” Keith sighed into the scent of the laundry as he bent down to help her pick up the dirty clothes and pile them back into the basket. “I just-”

“I know, I can smell you.” She said matter-of-factly, and he knew he was already forgiven. She reached down to dig through the laundry for a moment and pulled out a dark purple hoodie. “Here, this should help.”

Keith took the hoodie from her with a grateful smile and immediately pulled it to his face, inhaling deeply. “ _Thank you_ ,” he breathed, and rushed off, sliding the hoodie on as soon as he was out of eyesight. It was enormous and dwarfed him, and with the hood up and the smell all around him, it was perfect.

\---

It was only 2pm when Keith’s heat started.

He lay on his bed, knees tucked up into the oversized hoodie, and groaned loudly. The smell wasn’t enough anymore, he needed that Alpha man _here._

It had been too long since Keith had started suppressants, and he wasn’t used to not being on them anymore. And fuck, he hated it, he hated his heat, he hated being alone right now even more than he hated the idea of fucking some stranger he barely knew. In fact, at that moment, he _loved_ the idea of fucking some stranger he barely knew, especially one that smelled so damn good.

The next four hours were torturous. 

The fifth hour was worse. He’d heard Takashi come home at 6, and knowing that the Alpha was there but wouldn’t touch him until his mate was home was absolute hell. 

By the end of it, Keith was almost naked already, having taken off his shirt at first so Takashi’s sweater could be closer to his skin, and later removed his pants because they were _too much,_ too constricting, too in the way of what he needed, what he couldn’t have yet, oh _god_. 

It was five minutes till 7 when he heard a knock at his bedroom door.

“Fuck, finally,” he said, voice breathy, and stumbled his way to the door, not even attempting to make himself appear less disheveled before he yanked it open.

Ina stood on the other side.

“Wha- Ina? What are you-? What?” Keith asked, confused, and he straightened the hoodie in a hurry, tugging at it to make sure it was covering the essentials.

Leifsdottir’s expression was apologetic, and when she spoke, it wasn’t with good news. “Mr. Shirogane has asked me to inform you that he will not be spending this heat with you.” She made a face and glanced away, then back at him, expression soft. “I’m sorry, Keith.” 

Keith stared at her, dumbstruck.

“What, _what?_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boyo. Sorry guys, no sexytimes just yet!
> 
> I have two paths in my mind that this story could go, and I'm curious about your opinions. One is very much a long, slow burn, and the other is... the opposite of that. Please comment if you have a preference! I like both versions of the story so I'm curious to know how you guys feel about it.
> 
> Also, come be pals on Twitter, @minibattlehero <3


	3. An Exchange of Opinions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously, on AEOS: Keith hasn't interacted much with either Shiro or Adam since his arrival. Instead, he spends his time getting used to his new home, informing his friends and family of his situation, and engaging in hobbies. When he feels his heat coming on, he informs Adam's personal assistant, James, so that Adam can make the necessary arrangements. The wait for both husbands to get home is excruciating, due in large part to this being the first heat Keith will be going through after four years of taking suppressants. To tide himself over, he acquires one of Shiro's enormous hoodies, but the smell is nothing compared to the real thing. Unfortunately, the knock at his bedroom door is not Shiro. It's Ina, the live-in maid, informing Keith that he will be spending this hellish heat alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three chapters in three days??? This is madness! But seriously, I feel more motivated than ever to write because of all the amazing comments! You guys are all INCREDIBLE. I didn’t expect so many people to like this fic and it means the world to me every time one of you comments. Thank you soooo much! I definitely won't be able to keep up this pace forever but damn those comments get me so puuuuumped to write more, I can't help it.
> 
> I’ve decided on whether I’m going to do fast or slow burn, but I’m not gonna tell you guys until the note at the end of next chapter, because SPOILERS.
> 
> Heads up: There’s some very brief noncon kissing in this chapter, but it's like a quarter of a sentence.

“Are you _fucking_ kidding me!” Keith shouted as he slammed open the door to Takashi and Adam’s bedroom, the door swinging back to bang on the wall behind it before bouncing back halfway closed behind him. Inside, he found Shiro sprawled on the bed with a book open in front of him. 

When Keith barged in, Shiro sat up with a start and placed the book on the bedside table, eyes wide as he took in the sight of the angry Omega in front of him.

Keith didn’t wait for him to compose himself before continuing.

“What the hell’s going on? I’m spending this heat alone? You _ass!_ You’re gonna just leave me like this? This is fucking HELL.” 

Keith’s voice was loud - too loud for the size of the room - but he didn’t let Takashi’s wide eyes and nervous scooting away stop him in his tirade. 

He also didn’t notice Takashi’s gaze trail down the oversized sweatshirt to his bare legs and then snap back to Keith’s face with firm purpose.

“I could be on suppressants right now, but I’m not, for you,” Keith continued without pause. “Do you know how much it fucking _sucks_ to go through a heat alone, without suppressants? I’m not here to sit around and wait for you to get in the mood, I’m here to pop out some babies, take your money, and get the fuck out, so _fuck me_ already!” Keith pushed forward as he talked, crawling up onto the bed and towards Shiro, who was backed up as far as possible against the headboard.

Shiro had frantically tried to interrupt with, “Keith, wait,” and “Keith, please calm down,” but Keith was having none of it, and now the Omega was on top of him, half naked and wearing his clothes and letting off all sorts of pheromones, and now Shiro was being kissed, hard and rough and unforgiving.

 _“Keith, stop!”_

Takashi tried to push Keith away, but it was Adam who rushed into the room and yanked Keith off of his husband, pulling him off of the bed.

Keith snarled and ripped his arm out of Adam’s grasp, turning to him with a scowl. “ _What?_ " he asked angrily. “This is what you guys wanted, isn’t it?”

Despite being slightly out of breath - apparently he’d run to the room at the sound of Keith’s shouting - Adam’s composure was statuesque as he maneuvered himself between Keith and the bed where Shiro lay panting and shellshocked. “We wouldn’t force ourselves on you, Keith, no matter the situation,” he chastised, tone firm but level. “Give Takashi that same respect.”

“This is fucking _ridiculous,_ ” Keith snarled. He stepped to the side so he could see past Adam to Takashi, and asked vehemently, “Aren’t you even going to explain why?”

Adam didn’t move to block him yet but didn’t give up any ground either. He waited and stared Keith down.

Shirogane wouldn’t make eye contact with Keith at all. He stared at the corner of the room, jaw clenched so tight it hurt. 

Moments ticked by in silence.

Silence that was filled with near-palpable tension from all three men in the room.

Silence that smelled of lust and anger and sweat and pheromones.

Silence that tasted like the collision of fire and ice and something that couldn’t seem to decide what it was.

_”Well?_ " Keith prompted as he took a step forward, voice sharp. 

Adam saw Keith move with his words like a knife, and stepped quickly between the Omega and Takashi. Adam stopped Keith’s forward movement with a hand pressed firmly against the his chest. A warning. “Keith, please leave the room.”

For a second, Keith didn’t respond. He just kept glaring at Shirogane, waiting for him to answer, to _look_ at him, _something_. Then he ripped his razor gaze to Adam, staring back in defiance.

Adam didn’t speak or back down, and neither did Keith, until he spat out a “Fuck you both,” and without another glance at either of them, spun on his heel and stormed from the room.

\-----

After Keith left the room, Adam closed and locked the door, and then turned to his husband to request an explanation, voice neither harsh nor kind.

“Takashi, explain.”

The moment the door closed, he saw Takashi unclench his jaw and relax his body, leaning forward from where he’d been pressed against the headboard.

“I’m sorry, Adam, I just-” He rubbed a hand up his face. “Can you open the windows?”

Adam’s face softened at the pained expression on Takashi’s face, and he turned to do as requested, opening up the three windows in the large bedroom. As he walked, he pulled a phone out of his pocket and sent a quick text to his assistant.

With the windows open, Adam returned to the bed and sat on the edge near Takashi. When he spoke again, his voice was caring. “You wanna tell me what happened?”

Takashi looked up at his husband, sorrow painted across his face. “I thought I could do it, but I can’t, Adam. I can’t.”

Adam reached out to place his hand on Takashi’s. “You don’t want to have kids anymore?” As hard as he tried to keep his voice calm, there was tension there. They had come so far. How could Takashi be backing out now? They had agreed that it was time. They wanted this. Adam needed this.

“It’s not that.” 

Oh. Okay. “Then what?”

Shiro hesitated. “I can’t with _him_.”

Adam withdrew his hand, eyes furrowed. “I don’t understand. You want another Omega? You know that’s not an option anymore. Takashi, you _know_ they make the fines for breaking this type of contract expensive enough to prevent even people like us from backing out. The country needs children, and Takashi, we _want_ children.”

As Adam spoke, Takashi pulled away. “I know, Adam, I _know_. But I just… I don’t want it like this.”

“Everyone does it this way. It’s normal.”

“No, I mean- _fuck_.” Takashi cut himself off, burying his face in his hands.

Adam stood. “I don’t understand what the problem is,” he said, the edge in his voice coming back. He waited a moment but there was no response, and he folded his arms in frustration. “Pull it together,” he snapped. “This isn’t like you. You’re acting like more of an Omega than Keith is.”

Takashi jerked his head to look up at him. “That’s not fair.”

“What’s not fair is you leaving that poor boy to suffer through his first heat in four years all alone. What’s not fair is us fighting about having kids for two years and you _finally_ agree and then as soon as we pour all of this money into building a guest home, renting an Omega, rearranging my campaign schedule, everything we’ve done to get ready for this, you try to back out.” His voice was steadily rising. “What’s not fair is you suddenly acting like what I want - what _we_ want - doesn’t even matter. Life isn’t fair, Takashi. Man the fuck up!”

Adam was breathing heavily when he finished. It was unlike him to raise his voice in anger, but he’d worked so hard to get to this point, and he was goddamn _frustrated_.

But then, in Takashi’s eyes, Adam saw fire and fear, and he remembered that extra something that he’d seen there the first time they’d seen Keith’s picture in the directory, and the the first time Keith had walked into their home. Adam grit his teeth and swallowed heavily.

Time for some preventative damage control.

“Takashi,” he said softly, stepping forward. “You know you won’t be cheating on me, right?” He sat again, close to his husband, and took both of his hands in each of his own. “This is going to bring us closer together.” He saw the first signs of relief in Takashi’s face and leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to the other’s lips. “I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Adam, my precious baby boy. Don't make promises you can't keep.
> 
> Now that I know whether I'm doing slow burn or not, my next question is how do you feel about the pacing of this fic? Do you feel like things are being described enough before I move on to the next point? I used to write in an entirely different style that would have been like three times longer than this or more to get the same information across. But ever since getting into technical writing, I’ve conditioned myself to dispense information as efficiently as possible, and it’s weird making the switch back to fiction after so long. If you guys would like things written in more detail I’m happy to do that! But if you like the fast pace of this slow burn fic, I’m good with that too haha.


	4. A Change of Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously, on AEOS: Furious with the news that he would be spending his heat alone, Keith stormed into Shiro’s room to confront the Alpha about the matter. After yelling and forcing a kiss onto the man, he was interrupted by Adam’s forceful removal and stern tone. After Keith was dismissed from the room without any explanation regarding the situation, Adam tried to get that explanation from Shiro himself. Although Shiro struggled to express what he was going through and Adam quickly grew frustrated and lashed out, Adam soon suspected that Shiro may feel as though he would be cheating. He assured his husband that that was not the case, and promised the experience would bring them closer together as a couple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little shorter than I intended. Sorry! I had more planned for it but I decided to split the chapter again because I don’t know when I’m going to have time to write for a few days. And you guys have been so incredible with all of your amazing comments, I felt like you deserved more of the story asap!! So I decided to give you what I have and write the rest of it as Chapter 5. Plus the part I wrote here was intended to be 2-3 paragraphs and turned into almost four pages, so it worked out rather nicely, I think.

Keith had barely made it around the corner before his legs started to give out. He was shaking; his legs, his arms, his breath. He leaned against the wall for support.

He was a fighter, there was no doubt about that. But damn, being in heat made is so _difficult_. With an Alpha right there in that room full of heady scent, telling him to stop, refusing him. Having to challenge Adam like that. Every bit of fight he had put into that situation went against everything his biology wanted him to do. And he _hated_ it.

Keith wasn’t going to let a heat change who he was.

He would, however, give in a little bit, now that he was out of sight. Because standing was more effort than it was worth, and he slowly sunk down the wall until he was half-sitting/half-lying on the floor in a messy heap. 

_”Fuck.”_

Keith didn’t know what to do now. He couldn’t go through this alone, he _couldn’t_. But he couldn’t try to confront Takashi and Adam again, either. It had taken too much out of him already, and all he wanted to do was acquiesce, back down, _submit_. He would have hated it if it didn’t still sound so appealing.

No, he did hate it. Because he was _mad_. And no matter what his body wanted, that wasn’t going to change.

His mind was full of conflicting desires, his actions had gone directly against what he needed, and his ability to handle himself - or even think a coherent thought - was rapidly deteriorating. 

Keith didn’t realize how much time had passed until he heard a door open around the corner, and voices grow closer. He was so out of his mind by this point that he couldn’t focus on them and definitely didn’t realize how he looked: writhing softly on the floor, making a keening sound of displeasure, and letting off such a strong scent of distress it was a wonder Adam and Shiro hadn’t smelled him through the walls.

Suddenly there were hands on him, wrists rubbing against his own, and then against his throat, and Keith’s eyes and mind slowly cleared. He looked up, and saw Shiro’s worried gaze looking down at him.

“Keith.” The voice was deep, and soft, and so so concerned. “Keith, are you okay?”

“ _Fuck_ no,” Keith tried to growl, but it came out as more of a mewl as he wriggled his way in between Shirogane’s arms. 

Takashi, who had been kneeling next to him, shifted into a crouch and scooped the Omega up into his arms so he could carry him back to his bedroom.

“I’m so sorry,” the larger man whispered as he walked. There was no response from Keith aside from him curling closer to Takashi’s chest. “I should have realized, with it being so long since your last heat, that you wouldn’t be used to it, wouldn’t know what you can handle.”

“I can handle myself just fine,” Keith snapped, some of the sharp edges from earlier finding their way back into his voice. 

The Alpha’s chest moved in an almost-silent laugh. “I’m sure that you can,” Takashi replied, placating the man in his arms.

Keith liked being close to Shirogane. It was soothing to feel the hard muscles of his chest and arms, to smell that strong, Alpha scent so near him, and the cadence of the his step was so smooth and peaceful Keith almost felt like a child being rocked to sleep.

“You shouldn’t have made me do this if you weren’t going to follow through,” Keith murmured into Takashi’s shirt. His words were accusatory but his tone was soft.

Takashi hummed, and then replied with a simple. “I know.”

“This is really shitty for me.”

“I know. And I’m sorry.” Takashi nudged Keith’s bedroom door open with his foot.

A pause, and then, “Good.” When Shirogane gently set him among the mounds of pillows and blankets on his bed, Keith didn’t let go of the other’s shirt. “I’m sorry, too, I guess. For yelling at you and kissing you.” He paused again and looked up to see Shirogane smiling. “Kind of. Ish. Don’t smile! God, I hate you.”

Takashi’s smile didn’t fade, and he opened his mouth to reply, but they heard footsteps at the door and both turned to see Adam’s silhouette in the light of the hallway. He was carrying a glass of water in one hand, and something small in the other.

“Let go, Keith,” Takashi ordered quietly, no malice in his words, and Keith obeyed.

The moment that strong presence was gone from his touch, he regretted it. But it was only moments before Shirogane was close again, sitting on the edge of Keith’s bed and holding out a pill and a glass of water. Keith looked at him, eyebrows raised.

“Suppressants,” Takashi explained.

“I know.” Of course Keith knew what suppressant pills looked like. That didn’t change the fact that he was already in heat. “It won’t help for very long.” And he wouldn’t be able to keep taking them all week long - like Advil or any other drug, a little would be fine; a lot could cause permanent damage.

Takashi nodded with a sad, small smile. “It’ll help you sleep tonight, at least. You need it.”

Keith didn’t argue, and accepted the gift. He downed the pill and water quickly, and the relief was almost immediate. It would take a few minutes to fully kick in, but already the warmth between his legs and the desperate burning _need_ was beginning to fade.

Shirogane began to stand.

“Wait!” Keith all but yelled, reaching forward as if to stop him, but then pulling back and lowering his voice. “Will you stay?”

The Alpha’s eyebrows rose sharply.

“It… helps,” Keith continued. “Being near you. Your smell.” He shifted uncomfortably. Keith really didn’t like asking for help like this, and it was apparent in the way he had stopped making eye contact. His voice was tense and rough. “I won’t try to force you again.”

After a moment, he looked up again to see the two husbands having a silent conversation in the dark room. Then Shirogane turned to him and said kindly, “Ok.”

Keith couldn’t help the sigh of relief that escaped him. He turned away under the guise of scooting over and rearranging the bedding. When he heard Takashi stepping towards the door, though, he turned back, anger and betrayal in his eyes.

“I need to change,” Shirogane explained with a smile, gesturing down at his suit pants and button-up shirt. “I’ll be right back, I promise.” 

“Yeah, well no fuckin rush,” Keith huffed and flopped down into the pillows, completely unsure whether he’d been intending to sound aloof or incredibly sarcastic and needy.

A minute after the man was gone, however, he found himself grateful for the break as he suddenly realized he was still naked aside from the loose sweatshirt he’d borrowed. With a quick curse, he hurried to add some underwear and sweatpants before Shirogane got back, and had just stepped back into bed when that soothing presence entered the room once again.

By this point, the suppressants had done their job as much as they could for an Omega already in heat, and the intense desire that had been unbearable earlier was muted down to a low buzz. When Takashi slid under the covers with him, Keith was able to happily settle for gripping a fistful of t-shirt and pulling himself up against the Alpha’s chest once again, burying his head in the crook of the man’s neck.

When he did so, he heard a sharp intake of breath from Takashi, and felt the man’s body tense up for a moment before relaxing and placing an arm - the warm, flesh one - over Keith’s back. Keith very nearly _purred_ in contentment at the feeling of being safely encased in this Alpha’s hold, but he managed to hold back for the most part. 

“Thank you,” Keith breathed softly. He was asleep within minutes, blissfully unaware of Takashi’s inability to even close his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to make this chapter so much more painful that it was, but my soft heart took me here and I just ran with it. Generally my writing turns out better when I go with what I’m feeling rather than with what I’ve got planned, so I went with my gut. This chapter goes out to the commenter that really wanted apologies - I told you you wouldn’t get them, but here they are <3 The title’s as much about my change of heart as it is about Shiro and Keith making up hahaha. Aaaaand the title is also foreshadowing to the next chapter. Can you guess why? (probably lol)
> 
> Also. I was worried Keith’s attitude change would seem too sudden, but it honestly feels realistic to me. I can be veryyy aggressive when I’m angry, but will often get really shaky as soon as I'm alone afterwards, and I don’t even have biology working against me like Keith does. So I’m content with how I wrote him in this chapter. It’s another side to him that surfaced quickly, but that doesn’t mean it’s not valid c:


	5. An Exchange of Partners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously, on AEOS: The fight with Shiro and Adam took a lot out of Keith, and he’d barely made it around the corner of the hallway before he collapsed into an omegan mess. Adam and Shiro found him a few minutes later, and Shiro brought Keith back to the guest room. As they walked, the two apologized, and Adam brought some suppressants to help Keith get through the night. Keith asked Shiro to stay with him, and the two fell asleep in Keith’s bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! I’ve been crazy busy, and it was really hard to me to write… well, you’ll see. Haha.

“Keith.”

A voice wound it’s way through the Omega’s sleep-fogged mind. He growled softly and shook his head, ignoring it.

“Keith.”

 _No._ He was having a good dream. He wanted to stay there.

“Keith, wake up.”

Sleep’s defenses could only last so long against the persistent voice, and Keith was pulled into consciousness.

As soon as he was awake enough to understand why exactly he was being woken, Keith screamed. “ _Fuck_ , shit, no, I’m so sorry!”

He had been humping Shirogane’s leg.

With a horrified wail, Keith rolled away, flailing frantically and grabbing at the bedding as he rolled right off of the full size bed into a tangled knot of blankets on the floor. Takashi was laughing, and when the man’s head appeared above him, Keith groaned and burrowed deeper into the mess to hide his face.

“I didn’t mean to! I’m so sorry!” His voice was muffled by the bedding.

Takashi responded through laughter that sounded like a park on a sunny day. “Hey, it’s okay. Come back.”

“Nope.” Despite the lack of mobility caused by the heap of blankets surrounding him, Keith began to worm his way underneath the bed and out of the man’s sight. Except… _holy shit,_ he wanted to listen and go back up on the bed and fuck the life out of that prime piece of Alpha - which is why it was more important than ever that he trap himself underneath the bed, so everyone would be safe. “Please leave, Mr. Shirogane.”

“Keith, it’s really okay.” His laughter faded away. “I talked to Adam, and I’m gonna try to…” Takashi paused for a moment, unsure of his phrasing. “...to follow through.”

Keith froze. “What?”

“With the original plan. I’m trying to follow through. So get up here, okay?”

For a moment, Keith thought his brain was short-circuiting. But no. Nope. He was really about to have sex with that gorgeous man and it was going to make everything so much better, so much easier. “Fuuuck,” he groaned happily and started pushing himself back out from under the bed.

It only took a few seconds to get untangled from the mess of blankets, but it was too long all the same. The moment he was free, Keith _pounced_ , causing Takashi to start his laughter all over again.

“Whoa, alright there, wildcat,” he chucked as Keith quickly straddled him and gripped the front of his shirt..

Keith quickly shushed him with a desperate kiss, pushing forward too hard, and Takashi had to prop himself up with both hands to keep from falling backwards onto the bed. 

“Touch me,” Keith gasped against the man’s lips, and moved to kiss the side of his chin, under his jawline - “Please,” - down his neck, against his collarbone.

“Ok, whoa, can we-” Takashi’s voice was tight but heated as he leaned back so he could free his arms enough to lift Keith and flip them over. “Here.” 

Keith yelped in surprise as he was manhandled into a new position. “Yes. Fuck yes.” He arched up on the bed as Takashi settled over him, prosthetic arm propping himself up while the other hand cupped Keith’s face. They met for another kiss, but Keith quickly pulled back. “ _Touch me,_ Shirogane, _please_.”

For a moment, they locked eyes - Keith’s dark, his irises blown wide with lust; Takashi’s flashing with desire and doubt.

Then Keith whined with need, and Shirogane clenched his teeth and nodded curtly before moving his hand down from Keith’s face to the front of his sweatpants.

Keith let out a small gasp of pleasure as he felt the pressure through the fabric, but that wasn’t what he’d been asking for. “Not- not there.” He heard a sharp intake of breath and felt the hand retreat hastily, but before Takashi could utter the apology that was forming on his lips, Keith started to move. _“Here.”_ He grabbed Shirogane’s hand and pulled it lower, bending his legs to give the Alpha better access.

“Uh? Oh…” Takashi stuttered as Keith started yanking off the sweatpants. “Don’t you--” He pulled back a little to give Keith room to get the clothing off. “--think we should--” Before he could finish his broken-up sentence, Keith was pulling on his shirt again, trying to get him closer. “--should go a little s--”

 _“Please,_ Mr. Shirogane,” Keith whined desperately, “I just want this to stop.” He was tugging so hard on Takashi’s shirt that he was practically pulling himself up off of the bed with it. “You can make it better.”

Takashi swallowed, the guilt written across his face in painful red pen. But he nodded and moved his hand back down, lining up one finger with Keith’s soaked, now-bare hole. 

Keith had no patience, and the moment he felt the tip of Takashi’s finger enter him, he pushed down, easily taking the entire digit with how ready he was. He let out a moan as he felt it and closed his eyes in pleasure. “More,” he begged, wrapping his arms around Takashi’s neck.

The Alpha complied, pressing in a second finger and arching them as he pushed in, hitting Keith’s prostate. 

_”Ah!,”_ Keith cried out and pushed down again, trying to chase the feeling. “That, yes, do that again, Mr. Shir-aaaah!” He cut himself off as Takashi pressed in again, rubbing against that sweet spot once more. Takashi started to thrust faster, stretching Keith, and Keith’s efforts to speak were stunted with every push. “Mr. Shirog-ahh. Shir-hgnaaaa. Shi- Shir- Shiro! Fuck, Shiro, god! Another finger, please, fuck, god.”

Keith didn’t notice Shiro’s chuckle and soft smile at the nickname, or how tense Shiro’s shoulders were, or how silent he was being. Keith couldn’t focus on anything but his need, and filling that need, because it had been _too damn long_ since his heat started and he _needed it._

And so as Shiro added another finger and Keith pushed himself more vigorously down on Shiro’s hand, Keith didn’t notice any of the signs that this wasn’t actually going as well as he felt like it was going. He didn’t notice, until Takashi started to slow down.

“Mm. Faster, Shiro, please,” Keith begged. But instead, the fingers disappeared from inside him entirely. And for the first time, Keith pulled back and looked at Takashi’s face.

Where earlier desire had been conflicting with doubt, now there lay only guilt. 

Something was wrong.

“What? What’s going on?” Keith demanded, attempting to make his voice soft and concerned but coming across as more impatient than anything. 

Takashi swallowed, and moved a few more inches away from Keith. “I… I need to talk to Adam.”

With a sigh, Keith flopped back onto the mattress. “Fine. Go.” He was clearly unhappy about the situation, but was trying his best to respect that there was maybe something going on that he didn’t understand.

Neither tried to make eye contact as Shiro wiped his hand on his pajama pants and slunk out of the room.

It was thirty torturous minutes later when Keith finally heard a knock on the door. He didn’t bother moving from his… incredibly risque position leaning forward on his knees. Maybe if Shiro saw him like this, trying to take care of himself, it would spark that inner alpha in him and they would _finally_ get this shit done.

Except, it wasn’t Shiro’s voice that he heard when the door opened.

“Nice.”

“What the-” Keith flipped quickly to face the door and saw James Griffin, Adam’s personal assistant, standing there with an enormous purple dildo. He grabbed a blanket and flung it over himself. “What are you _doing_ here?”

James shrugged, seemingly unbothered. “Adam texted me last night to go buy this, given how everything went down. Thought it might come in handy. He asked me to bring it to you while he and Takashi figure out their bullshit. Here.” He tossed the plastic dick onto the bed.

“Great.” Keith said blankly. “Get the fuck out.”

James turned away with a laugh. “No problem. This is so not in my job description anyway. Adam owes me one hell of a favor.” The last sentence was muttered to himself as he shut the door.

Keith let out a breath of relief when the door clicked shut, and then looked at the dildo quizzically. If they were giving him this, it seemed unlikely Shirogane would be coming back anytime soon…

And he was desperate.

The door flung open, and Keith shouted James’ name down the hall. The beta stopped and turned back to him, one eyebrow raised.

Keith gestured to his room.

James smirked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y’all know that when you asked for slow burn Sheith, you also asked for a shit ton of dramaaaaa! I hate boring chapters so get ready for a wild ride.
> 
> This wasn’t exactly slow burn as they did have some smut, but that’s mostly because I really wanted Shiro’s nickname to come from this scene like that hahahahaha. Also, I rewrote this several times and this was the one that felt most right. So, here we are! Hope you liked it c: 
> 
> ALSO, this was my first time writing smut in.... ever? Maybe ever? And it was really hard and took so many rewrites. So if it sucks, I'm sorry. Please leave feedback on what you liked/didn't like about that aspect of the chapter, so I can know what I'm doing well and what I need to improve!~


End file.
